Guiding Spirit (JM part 2)

Celtic Cross, Sancreed churchyard

To continue with the Jeremy Millar theme (previous post, Cosmic Coincidences?) he ponders the age-old question of where does art come from? He also queries the possessive label we attach to a work as being ‘my‘ work? After all, how can you quantify something that has had some level of appropriation taking place in the process? By the same token, you could argue that this post is not strictly speaking, ‘mine’.

detail of cruciform man on cross

Genius

He suggests that in answer to the former question about where does art come from, we might consider the notion of genius. Not in the modern meaning of the word as someone who is exceptionally talented and original, intellectually and creatively, but more in the sense of the ancient cult of genius. In ancient Rome, the genius was the guiding spirit (or soul) of a person. The noun is related to the Latin verb gigno, genui, genitus, “to bring into being, create, produce.” (Apparently, it wasn’t until the time of Augustus, 1st Emperor of the Roman Empire, the word began to acquire the more modern interpretation of genius as someone associated with the achievement of unprecedented insight.)

The guiding spirit or guardian angel, is the personal deity or daimon of an individual. It was something you were born with and remained with you until your death. It needed to be nurtured, fed, indulged and if you respected your genius, that made you a ‘genial’ person. Every person, place or object possessed their own genii and were linked either to family gens, to things, or to a specific place genius loci, each taking on certain attributes of the Gods and Goddesses, the supreme deities who ruled over the ancient Greek and Roman worlds.

jetsam

The notion of clan or gens, can be seen in our own Celtic cultures – and later formalized religions – who also had their guiding spirits or guardian angels. Does it also account for the behaviours we exhibit that seem to shape our characters? What drives one person to be a minimalist and another an avid collector? Why do some artists want to be hands-on sculptors while others want to make 3D work using digital media?

crucified beach man

As readers of this blog, I know the eagle-eyed amongst you may have already realised something about me that is fundamental to the way I work. I’m a collector. Not of valuable antiques (I have a few treasured family pieces) or priceless artworks (only works by friends which may or may not be priceless but are of huge value to me). I collect ideas or inspirational quotes and appropriate them for my own purposes. My studio is organised around the discarded detritus that no-one else wants. I find textural beauty in the rubbish that a storm throws up and dumps on our shore. Instead of throwing away my kitchen china when it breaks, I gather up the pieces and put them carefully in the box marked ‘broken china’ where all the other shattered shards are stored.

Votive ribbons adorning a tree near Sancreed well

Sometimes, something will trigger my interest, or I will feel compelled to do something for no apparent reason. Its latent meaning will remain dormant for a while until something happens to reignite my interest and, ‘ping’, a connective synapse is made. Call it coincidence (for want of a better word), serendipity or whatever. I believe my guiding spirit – or my genius – is showing me the way with gentle nudges of recognition. When those light bulb moments happen I cannot help feeling that they can only be divinely inspired and find myself raising my eyes to heaven with hands clasped, graciously thanking my guiding angels for their incredible gifts.

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Posted by:Caro Woods

I am an artist who lives in an old Methodist Chapel in the heart of a small rural village on the Western edge of Dartmoor, Devon. I love wild places and make work about the pilgrimages I make. Most days revolve around the needs of my two ponies and two whippets and writing a book about one of my epic equine pilgrimage. Otherwise I spend my time creating: with camera, pencil, pen, brush or collage. Also blog posts about walking / thinking / observing / drawing. A spiritual quester who enjoys sharing my encounters with the mystery and magic of everyday life, both mundane and profound. Above all, always searching for the core of my creativity.

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6 replies to Guiding Spirit (JM part 2)

I really like this post and the idea of nourishing and nurturing our personal genius or guardian angel. The more we nourish and pay attention to it, the more creativity will flow into our lives…..beautiful ideas…..thanks for sharing 🙂

Thanks again breathofgreenair! Making art can be quite a lonesome thing to do so it is really nice to come across a community of like-minded people out there all ploughing away along their own furrows, yet knowing we are not alone thanks to things like our blogs. The breadth of talent is amazing and we feed each other with our inspiration, our genius!

CARO WOODS

This website/blog is about sharing impulses, visual notes and things that tease my mind or catches my eye. It follows my creative projects and highlights the area where life meets art. Most often it's a gradual process of peeling away the skin to reach the core of my creativity.

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